How to win in Zimbabwe: The Zanu PF case study

As I reflect on the music industry in Zimbabwe, I'm reminded that success requires a deep understanding of our unique environment. But before I dive into that, let me just say that isn’t it crazy that we believe that Zimbabwean opposition (MDC, MDC-T, MDC-A CCC ETC, etcetera not party abbreviation) has consistently failed to win elections despite being the more popular party. I’m not a political analyst but my suspicion is being popular is not how you win elections or more importantly, take over power in the teapot country. But I don’t want to go to Chikurubi for inciting violence so let me get back to the music.

Besides music and politics most aspects of business and life require you to understand underlying principles and context in order to succeed. Managing a supermarket in Zimbabwe, for instance, requires a distinct approach compared to the USA (or any other country that has a semblance of stability 😂). While there's value in learning from international models, we must adapt and contextualize that knowledge to suit our local context.

Unfortunately, our industry lacks comprehensive studies and documentation, making it challenging to replicate successful strategies. Few individuals have successfully broken an artist creating a sustainable career in Zimbabwe. Holyten, who has achieved this feat twice with Saintfloew and Michael Magz, is a notable exception if anyone outside of the dancehall guys (kumangoma kurikuda order still)

In our local music scene, YouTube reigns supreme as the primary platform, while ZimCelebs is a significant distributor of music. Notably, most artists generate the bulk of their income from bookings. To succeed, one must work within these dynamics until they build a robust platform to promote their music. That’s not to say that’s the only way of going about it but there’s a reason why those platforms work and if you’re going to circumvent them you better have a real plan (which you guys never have 🤦🏿‍♂️)

To succeed in Zimbabwe's music scene, artists must be intentional about crafting strategies that resonate with our local context. No more copying and pasting from global playbooks or pretending to be experts because we've watched a lot of YouTube videos. Let's focus on understanding our own environment, our own people, and our own vibes. By doing so, we'll create music that truly connects with our audience and has a chance to go beyond our borders (I know how much y’all love to hear about that 😂)

I sat down with Walter Wanyanya to discuss several things local music industry related. Check it out here

https://youtu.be/NM0zOJDLb-w?si=uwdvOtu08doqyhXS